DIY Pet Urns: How to Make a Simple Wooden Box Urn at Home

When a pet dies, the world gets oddly quiet. You may still hear the familiar sounds of your home, but something essential is missing. And then—often sooner than you’d like—practical questions arrive: what happens after cremation, where do the ashes go, and what do we do next? For many families, making a simple wooden box urn becomes a gentle way to slow down, stay close to the memory, and create something that feels personal.

A DIY urn doesn’t have to be fancy to be meaningful. It does, however, need to be safe. That means understanding capacity, choosing a closure that won’t pop open on a bad day, and using an inner liner so you’re not living with constant anxiety about spills. This guide walks you through a calm, straightforward approach—along with the moment when it’s wiser to skip the DIY route and choose a professionally sealed urn instead.

And if you’re reading this while your heart still feels raw, I want you to know something simple: there is no “correct” timeline for choosing an urn, a memorial, or a plan. Funeral planning after loss is often less about doing everything quickly and more about doing the next small thing with care.

Why a wooden box urn can be a meaningful choice

A wooden box urn is familiar. It looks like something that belongs in a home—on a shelf, in a cabinet, or in a quiet corner where you keep a photo and a collar and maybe a small paw print impression. Some people prefer a traditional pet urn shape. Others want something that blends in and feels simple. A box can do that.

It’s also flexible. You can build it as a primary urn for all cremains, or as a keepsake box meant to hold a smaller portion of ashes plus mementos. Many families discover that the question isn’t just “what to do with ashes,” but “how do we keep them close in a way that feels calm in daily life?” If you’re also exploring professional options, Funeral.com’s collection of pet cremation urns is a helpful place to see what sizes, closures, and styles look like when they’re purpose-built.

And if you already know you want to share ashes among family members, you may prefer to build (or buy) a keepsake rather than a full-size container. In that case, browse pet keepsake cremation urns to see how compact “shareable” designs are typically sized and secured.

Start with the one thing that causes the most DIY mistakes: capacity

Capacity is where DIY projects can go sideways. Not because families don’t care, but because “urn sizing” isn’t intuitive. Urns are measured in cubic inches, which is a strange unit to deal with when you’re grieving.

A common rule of thumb used in cremation planning is to allow about one cubic inch of urn capacity per pound of body weight before cremation, often with a little extra room for comfort. Funeral.com explains how this sizing logic works and how to apply it in real categories in its urn size calculator and chart.

For pets, this rule is often a reasonable starting point, but the most important reality is this: the way cremains are packaged matters. Many families receive cremated remains in an inner bag inside a temporary container, and the volume of that bag can be slightly different depending on how it’s sealed and folded. If you want peace of mind about how cremains are typically returned and handled, read Are Ashes Loose in an Urn? before you build.

So how do you size your wooden box urn without turning this into a math project you resent?

How to estimate capacity using interior dimensions

The simplest method is to plan your interior box dimensions first, then confirm volume:

Length (in inches) × width (in inches) × height (in inches) = cubic inches of interior capacity.

If your interior space measures 6 inches by 4 inches by 4 inches, that’s 96 cubic inches. That may be sufficient for a large dog, or it may be too large for a small cat, depending on weight and packaging. If you’re unsure, consider sizing up slightly. It’s usually easier to have a little extra room than to find out the inner bag doesn’t fit comfortably.

And if the whole point of a DIY urn is to keep things simple, you can also decide that your homemade box will be a keepsake, while a professionally sealed urn becomes the “primary” container. That’s a very normal approach, especially when multiple people want a portion of ashes. If that idea resonates, explore keepsake urns in general at keepsake cremation urns for ashes, and compare them to slightly larger small cremation urns at small cremation urns for ashes.

Choose safety features first, aesthetics second

It’s tempting to think of an urn as décor. But the most loving thing you can do is build something you never have to worry about. A “pretty box” that opens easily can become a source of ongoing stress, especially in homes with kids, pets, frequent moves, or limited storage space.

Funeral.com’s guide to keeping ashes at home makes a point that matters here: most day-to-day issues aren’t about contamination; they’re about spills, placement, and containment. Your DIY decisions should reflect that.

The inner liner is non-negotiable

If you take only one practical tip from this article, let it be this: use an inner liner. Even if you plan to place cremains in the box in the bag they came in, you want a backup layer. A liner can be a purpose-made cremains bag, a heavy-duty sealed bag, or a double-bag setup secured carefully. The goal is to make the ashes “boring” to your household—stable, sealed, and not something you have to think about every day.

In many cases, cremains are already returned in a sealed inner bag, and you can keep that bag intact inside your wooden box. That approach reduces mess risk and often feels emotionally easier than pouring ashes. If you do need to transfer the bag or change containers, Funeral.com’s guidance on packaging and transfer can help you do it calmly and cleanly.

Pick a closure you trust on a bad day

This is the question to ask yourself: if you bumped the box off a shelf, would it stay closed? If the answer is “maybe,” upgrade the closure.

For a wooden box urn, practical closure options include a screwed-on bottom panel, a hinged lid with a latch, or a recessed lid with multiple small screws. Magnetic closures can be fine for a keepsake box, but they are not my first recommendation for a primary pet urns for ashes container unless you add a secondary latch.

If you want to see how professionally made urns solve this problem, it can be useful to compare your plan to products designed as pet cremation urns. The pet urns collection includes many designs that prioritize secure closures and stable bases.

A simple DIY build plan that stays focused on what matters

There are endless woodworking tutorials online, but grief-friendly DIY is different. You don’t need a complicated joinery project. You need a box that is strong, stable, properly sized, and easy to keep closed.

Materials that keep things sturdy and simple

A basic wooden box urn can be built from solid wood or quality plywood. Solid wood can be beautiful, but plywood can be strong and stable with fewer seasonal movement issues. If you want a clean look, hardwood plywood with a simple finish can be both durable and calm.

Build steps (the short version)

1. Plan interior dimensions first, using cubic inches (interior length × width × height).
2. Build the box body with straight cuts and strong glue joints, keeping the interior smooth and splinter-free.
3. Decide on a closure: screwed-on bottom panel, hinged lid + latch, or screw-secured lid.
4. Add an inner liner plan: space for the cremains bag and a second sealed liner if desired.
5. Sand carefully, especially inside edges where a bag could snag.
6. Finish the exterior with a low-odor, fully cured finish before placing cremains inside.
7. Place the sealed bag(s) inside, close the urn securely, and choose a stable home location.

Notice what’s missing here: complicated hardware, fragile decorative trims, and anything that requires constant upkeep. You can absolutely add those later if it brings you comfort. But first, build a container you trust.

Personalization that feels like love, not a project

Personalization is often where DIY becomes healing. It’s also where people accidentally make the box harder to live with. The goal is to add meaning without compromising closure, stability, or long-term durability.

These are a few options that tend to be both simple and lasting:

• A small engraved nameplate on the lid or front (name, dates, a short phrase).
• A photo under a clear protective cover (or a photo frame placed beside the urn instead of attached to it).
• A paw print motif burned or carved into the lid (if you’re comfortable with woodburning tools).
• A collar tag displayed next to the urn, rather than fixed to the closure.

If engraving is what you really want, it may actually be the moment you decide a professionally engravable urn is the better fit. Funeral.com’s engravable pet urns for ashes collection shows many designs where personalization is integrated without weakening the structure.

When it’s better to buy a professionally sealed urn instead

I’m a fan of meaningful DIY, but I’m not a fan of DIY that turns your memorial into something you worry about. If any of these are true, consider purchasing a professionally made urn and keeping your homemade box as a keepsake or memory box:

You live with toddlers or energetic pets who climb. You travel often or expect to move. You want a truly tamper-resistant closure. You’re planning long-term storage in a humid environment. Or you know, deep down, that you want something you can set down and never second-guess.

In those cases, starting with purpose-built pet urns can give you more peace. You can browse classic and artistic options in pet cremation urns for ashes, or choose a more decorative memorial style through pet figurine cremation urns for ashes. And if your heart wants something you can carry, not just place on a shelf, cremation jewelry can be part of the plan too.

For wearable remembrance, Funeral.com offers cremation necklaces at cremation necklaces, and explains how pieces work, how much they hold, and how they’re sealed in Cremation Jewelry 101. Many families use jewelry alongside a primary urn, which can be especially comforting when multiple people want a tangible connection.

How DIY fits into the bigger questions: ashes at home, scattering, and water burial

A DIY urn is often one part of a bigger story. Sometimes the plan is “keep the ashes at home for now.” Sometimes it’s “keep a portion here, scatter later.” Sometimes families are considering water burial or scattering at sea. The key is to separate “what we’re doing today” from “what we may do later.”

If your plan includes keeping cremains at home, you’ll likely feel steadier after reading Funeral.com’s practical guide to keeping ashes at home at Keeping Ashes at Home: A Practical Safety Guide. If you’re thinking about the ocean—whether for a person or simply because you’re researching options—water rules are more specific than most people expect. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains that burial at sea under its general permit framework requires notification within 30 days after the event, among other rules, on its EPA burial at sea guidance.

And if you want a family-friendly explanation of what the “three nautical miles” rule really means, Funeral.com breaks it down in Water Burial and Burial at Sea: What “3 Nautical Miles” Means.

One important nuance, especially if your household includes both human and pet cremains: the EPA’s burial-at-sea general permit framework applies to human remains, and the agency notes that pet or non-human remains are not eligible under that general permit. That detail is stated directly on the EPA burial at sea page, and it’s worth knowing before you plan anything on the water.

Cost reality check, because it affects choices

Even when we’re talking about a DIY pet urn, costs have a way of shaping decisions. People are often juggling cremation costs, veterinary bills, memorial items, and the emotional weight of it all. It can help to ground the bigger picture with real numbers.

According to the Cremation Association of North America, the U.S. cremation rate was 61.8% in 2024, with projections continuing upward. And the National Funeral Directors Association reports a projected U.S. cremation rate of 63.4% in 2025, reflecting how common cremation has become for families planning end-of-life arrangements. Those trends are part of why questions like cremation urns, cremation urns for ashes, and what to do with ashes are so widely searched now.

Costs vary widely, but NFDA has also reported that the national median cost of a funeral with cremation was $6,280 in 2023. That figure is shared in NFDA’s public reporting on funeral costs. If you want a plain-language breakdown of what cremation-related line items can include (and what is separate from the urn itself), Funeral.com’s cremation cost breakdown is a helpful companion to the question how much does cremation cost.

For pet cremation, pricing structures are different, but the emotional logic is often the same: families want something respectful and safe, and they want choices that don’t create long-term stress. If a DIY box gives you that, it can be the right choice. If it doesn’t, a professional urn is not an indulgence—it’s a stability decision.

Where this connects back to “urns,” even if you’re building your own

Even when you build your own box, you’re still making the same foundational decisions families make when choosing professional urns: capacity, closure, and how the ashes will be contained. That’s why it can be useful to browse the broader world of cremation urns even if you don’t plan to buy one. Funeral.com’s main collection of cremation urns for ashes can help you visualize how materials, lids, and sizing are handled across different designs.

And if your DIY box is meant to be a secondary container, you may find comfort in pairing it with a small keepsake urn or jewelry. Many families do exactly that: a primary urn stays safely stored, while a small keepsake or cremation necklace provides closeness. That “two-part plan” is surprisingly common because it respects both safety and emotion.

FAQs